System and method of delivering DSL services

ABSTRACT

A system and method for delivering digital subscriber line (DSL) service to a subscriber from a remote terminal of a telephone network. Included is a first route for delivering a telephone signal to the subscriber, and a second route for passing the telephone signal through a DSL system before delivering the signal to the subscriber. A disrupter is then used to selectively activate either the first or second route.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to digital subscriber lines,and, more specifically, to a new method for delivering digitalsubscriber line service from a remote terminal of a telephone network.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Digital subscriber line (DSL) technology allows for high-bandwidthnetworking connections to be made over ordinary copper telephone lines.Traditional phone service typically relies on unshielded twisted pair(UTP) copper lines to connect homes and small businesses to thecommunications network operated by the telephone company (TELCO). Everyone of these networks includes a central offices (CO) that services adefined region, with each CO responsible for connecting and routingcalls directed to sites that reside both internal to and external of thenetwork

Branching out from the central office are numerous remote terminals (RT)located throughout the region being served by the CO, with each RTproviding the phone service for the subscribers located within aspecific area or neighborhood. One of the primary components that makeup a remote terminal (RT) is a pair gain system, also known as a derivedcarrier system, or digital loop carrier system. In simplest terms, thepair gain system provides the TELCO with the capability to carrymultiple services over a lesser number of lines, for example, fiveconversations over one telephone line. The pair gain system also isresponsible for generating the dial tone signal one hears when theyfirst pick up a telephone handset, indicating that an active connectionis present.

FIG. 1 depicts a typical telephone connection between a pair gain system10 of a remote terminal (RT) (not shown) and a subscriber 30. Asindicated in FIG. 1, the connection between the pair gain system 10 andsubscriber 30 is not accomplished directly, but instead in two legs. Thefirst connection 10 a exists between the pair gain system 10 and a crossconnect block 20, while the second connection 20 a is made between thecross connect block 20 and a subscriber 30. As indicated by its name,the purpose of the cross connect block 20 is to allow easy matching andconnecting of two or more connections to one another, therebyfacilitating the addition or removal of phone services to or from thesubscriber.

To further illustrate the use of a cross connect block 20, consider thefollowing example involving a typical modern day residence. New homesare often pre-wired to handle multiple telephone lines, i.e. six lines,to allow for future expansion. In this situation, there would be sixconnections running between the subscriber's house 30 and the crossconnect box 20. However, if the subscriber only has two active phonelines, then only two connections representing the active circuits wouldrun from the pair gain system 10 to the cross connect box 20. Later, ifthe subscriber wishes to add a new telephone line for a fax machine, atechnician would have to run a new connection between the pair gainsystem 10 and the cross connect block 20, matching the new connection atthe cross connect block 20 to the appropriate connection already presentthat runs to subscriber's house 30.

Note that each of connections 10 a and 20 a, along with the connectionsdiscussed below, although drawn as single lines in the figures, actuallyrepresent a cable pair, such as, for example, typical unshielded twistedpair (UTP) copper lines. For the remainder of the application, the terms“connection” and “cable pair” should be considered interchangeable. Inview of this, it should be further understood that terminals forreceiving these connections, such as can be found on cross connect block20, are comprised of two conductors, with each conductor receiving onecable of the cable pair.

FIG. 2 depicts the same connection as previously depicted in FIG. 1.However, unlike the previous depiction, FIG. 2 provides a more detailedillustration of cross connect block 22, which is illustrated as aninsulation-displacement connection (IDC) block. Unlike blocks that relyon screw-terminals or a wire wrapping technique to secure wires to theblock, IDC blocks provide for a gas-tight connection without requiringthe removal of insulation covering the wire. Connection is achieved oncea wire is placed into an IDC block contact, and then punched down,typically via an insertion tool, pressing the wire against the contactto form the gas-tight connection. Due to ease of use and effectiveness,cross connect blocks utilizing IDC contacts have become the standardwithin the telecommunications industry.

As DSL technology is relatively new compared to typical telephoniccommunication involving analog signals, many of the remote terminals(RT) that are part of a telephone company's (TELCOs) network were notdesigned to allow easy incorporation of newer technology such as DSL.Accordingly, the TELCOs have had to develop ways to effectively provideDSL service to their subscribers utilizing the existing equipment on thenetwork.

FIG. 3 depicts a typical approach to incorporating DSL service with aremote terminal (RT). The dial tone signal generated by the pair gainsystem 10 is directed to a splitter 50 via connection 10 a. Splitter 50also receives a connection 40 a from a DSL system 40. DSL system 40includes the equipment necessary for processing and directing the datasignals back and forth between subscriber 30 and a digital subscriberline access multiplexer (DSLAM) (not shown). The DSLAM, which isoperated by a service provider, takes all of the subscribers' DSLconnections and aggregates them onto a single, high-density connectionto the Internet. For the current illustrative example involving theintegration of DSL at an RT, the DSL system may be physically mountedinside the cabinet housing the RT, or placed in its own cabinet mountedonto or next to the RT depending on factors such as size limitations andease of access.

The role of splitter 50 is to combine the lower frequency signal fromthe pair gain system 10 with the higher frequency DSL data signal insuch a way that they don't interfere with one another. Similarly,splitter 50 must also be capable of separating the signal sent by thesubscriber 30 back into its two constituent components and then directthem back to the appropriate system. In FIG. 3, splitter 50 is depictedas an independent component separate from DSL system 40. Alternatively,splitter 50 may be incorporated into DSL system 40.

The combined signal produced by splitter 50 is delivered to crossconnect block 20 over connection 50 a, where it is then directed tosubscriber 30 over connection 20 a. Subscribers 30 can then access thehigher frequency DSL signal by means of a DSL modem connected betweentheir computing device and the telephone line(s) running throughouttheir residence. At the same time, standard telephones continue to haveaccess to the lower frequency analog signals also routed over theline(s).

To accomplish the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 3, a servicetechnician is required to go onsite and perform wiring locally at theremote terminal (RT) that is servicing the subscriber. In order tocombine the signal coming from the pair gain system 10 with the DSL datasignal, the pair gain system 10 that normally is directly wired to crossconnect block 20 must now be rerouted so that it interfaces withsplitter 50. At splitter 50, the signal from the pair gain system 10 iscombined with the DSL data signal, which also runs through splitter 50.The combined dial tone and DSL signal must then be placed back intocommunication with subscriber 30, requiring a new connection betweensplitter 50 and cross connect block 20. Due to these re-wiringrequirements, the telephone service of subscriber 30 is disrupted;preventing them from making or receiving any telephone calls. Further,the duration of this disruption can vary depending on the knowledge andskill of the service technician, along with the condition of the RT.

If a DSL subscriber decides he or she no longer wants DSL service, theservice technician must access the remote terminal (RT) again anddisrupt the connection 40 a that provides communication between the DSLsystem 40 and splitter 50. The splitter 50 must also be removed from thesystem, once again disrupting the subscriber's telephone service.Additionally, during the process of reconnecting pair gain system 10back to cross connect block 20, there is always the chance that amistake could be made, resulting in an improper connection to exist.This can lead to subscriber 30 going without telephone service for anextended duration until the problem can be corrected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new system and method of deliveringdigital subscriber line (DSL) service to a subscriber. A first route forcommunicates a pair gain signal from a pair gain system, through a crossconnect block, to the subscriber. A second route, which partiallyoverlaps the first route, communicates the pair gain signal from thepair gain system, through a DSL system, to the subscriber. A disrupteris then used to selectively activate one of the first and second routes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified depiction of a typical neighborhood setup fordistributing telephonic communication service to a subscriber.

FIG. 2 is equivalent to FIG. 1, but with the cross connectivity blockshown in further detail.

FIG. 3 is a simplified depiction of a typical setup for distributingtelephonic communication service along with digital subscriber line dataservice to a subscriber.

FIG. 4 is a simplified depiction of a setup in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention for distributing telephoniccommunication service along with digital subscriber line data service toa subscriber.

FIG. 5 is an additional simplified depiction of a setup in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention for distributing telephoniccommunication service along with digital subscriber line data service toa subscriber.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

One embodiment of the present invention will now be discussed inreference to FIG. 4. Like the basic distribution setup depicted in FIG.1, the pair gain system 10 of FIG. 4 connects to cross connect block 20by connection 10 a, while the cross connect block 20 connects tosubscriber 30 by connection 20 a. Through these two connections,subscriber 30 is provided with telephone service.

In order to provide DSL service to subscriber 30, a service technicianaccesses the cross connect block 20 that serves subscriber 30 andreroutes the telephone signal of subscriber 30 so as to combine it witha DSL signal. However, unlike prior methods of accomplishing this,according to the present embodiment the technician maintains connections10 a and 20 a, thereby allowing phone service to subscriber 30 tocontinue during the installation of DSL service.

Instead of rewiring connection 10 a, a new connection 20 b is madebetween the cross connect block 20 and splitter 50, with connection 20 battaching to block 20 at the same terminal that receives connection 10a. This places connection 10 a in communication with connection 20 b sothat signals traveling through one will proceed to the other. An exampleof a cross connect block 20 with this “double terminate” feature, wheremore than one connection can be established to the same terminal on theblock, are the Series 2 Connecting Blocks made by Krone. A connection 40a between splitter 50 and the DSL system 40 is also established. Lastly,a connection 50 a, which will carry the combined dial tone/DSL signal,is made between splitter 50 and cross connect block 20. Similar toconnection 20 b, connection 50 a is attached to block 20 at the sameterminal that attaches to connection 20 a, so that these two connectionsare placed in communication with one another. During this entireprocess, the signal path made up of connection 10 a, cross connect block20 and connection 20 a remains undisturbed. As such, telephone serviceto subscriber 30 is never disrupted.

In order to “turn on” the DSL service for subscriber 30, the servicetechnician then modifies cross connect block 20 so as to disrupt thesignal path running through block 20. As passage through the crossconnect block 20 is no longer possible, the signal generated by pairgain system 10 proceeds to be redirected over connection 20 b into thesplitter 50, where it is combined with the DSL signal carried by 40 a.The combined signal is then carried over connection 50 a and connection20 a to subscriber 30, who never notices a disruption in his or hertelephone service while DSL service was activated.

FIG. 5 depicts the same circuit as previously depicted in FIG. 4 withthe exception that cross connect block 20 is now illustrated as an IDCcross connect block 22. As before, the service technician establishesconnections 22 b and 50 a, which effectively adds DSL system 40 andsplitter 50 in parallel to the BDC block 22. To then activate DSLservice to the subscriber, the technician inserts a disconnect plug 24designed to be received by IDC block 22. Upon its insertion, disconnectblock 24 effectively disrupts or opens the signal path that previouslyallowed the signal from pair gain system 20 to “cut through” the crossconnect block. As a result, the signal is rerouted to splitter 50 asbefore, thereby activating DSL service to subscriber 30 withoutproviding any noticeable disruption in telephone service.

If subscriber 30 desires to deactivate his or her DSL service, theservice technician simply repeats the process in reverse. Specifically,disconnect plug 24 is removed from IDC block 22. With plug 24 absent,the signal path through the block is once again established and thesignal from pair gain system 10 takes the direct path consisting ofconnections 10 a and 22 a, instead of being redirected through splitter50. Connections 22 b and 50 a can then be removed safely. As during theDSL installation stage, subscriber 30 notices no disruption in theirtelephone service while the DSL service is being uninstalled.

Additionally, unlike prior DSL installation methods, according to thecurrent embodiment, connection 10 a between the pair gain system 10 andIDC connect block 22 and connection 22 a between IDC connect block 22and subscriber 30 is never disrupted or removed. As a result, there isno chance of a misappropriate connection being made by the technicianupon removal of DSL service, thereby significantly reducing the chancesthat a subscriber will have to go without telephone service due totechnician error.

The DSL delivery system and method described in the above embodiments isalso advantageous as it provides the technician a good opportunity tocheck the condition of the subscriber's line. For example, just prior todisrupting the signal path through the cross connect block by insertionof the disconnect plug, the technician can instead insert a test cord inplace of the disconnect plug. This then allows the technician to “lookboth ways” along the line to detect signs of possible problems thatcould affect either telephone or DSL service.

In the above discussion, Applicant's new method and system fordelivering DSL is described, for illustrative purposes, in relation to aremote terminal (RT) servicing a specific area or neighborhood ofsubscribers. However, the new system and method is not limited tointegrating signals at or near an RT, but can also be used at variousother locations within the network. For example, the new system andmethod could be advantageously used in a controlled environment vault(CEV) utilized by TELCOs to house underground remote terminals and othernetworking equipment. Alternatively, the invention as presented in theembodiments above may also be beneficially used at a central office (CO)of the TELCO.

While the invention has been specifically described in connection withcertain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that thisis by way of illustration and not of limitation, and the scope of theappended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art willpermit.

1-18. (canceled)
 19. A system for delivering digital subscriber line(DSL) service to a subscriber, the system comprising: a) a pair gainsystem that generates a pair gain signal; b) a splitter that combinesand separates signals, one of the signals being a DSL signal; and c) aninsulation displacement connection block having a plurality of pairedtermination locations aligned in a row, each paired termination locationincluding a first double termination location and a second doubletermination location, the insulation displacement connection blockfurther including: i) a first set of connections terminated at the firstdouble termination location; ii) a second set of connections terminatedat the second double termination location; and iii) a disconnector plugpositionable at an insertion location defined by the insulationdisplacement connection block, the insertion location corresponding tothe first and second double termination locations; d) wherein thesubscriber receives only the pair gain signal when the disconnector plugis absent from the insertion location, and wherein the subscriberreceives both the pair gain signal and the DSL signal when thedisconnector plug is inserted into the insertion location.
 20. Thesystem of claim 19, wherein the first set of connections includes aconnection between the pair gain system and the first double terminationlocation and another connection between the splitter and the firstdouble termination location.
 21. The system of claim 20, wherein thesecond set of connections includes a connection between the subscriberand the second double termination location and another connectionbetween the splitter and the second double termination location.
 22. Thesystem of claim 19, wherein a first signal pathway from the first doubletermination location of the insulation displacement connection block tothe subscriber is established when the disconnector plug is insertedinto the insertion location, and wherein a second signal pathway fromthe first double termination location of the insulation displacementconnection block to the subscriber is established when the disconnectorplug is removed from the insertion location.
 23. The system of claim 22,wherein the first signal pathway communicates the pair gain signal fromthe pair gain system through the splitter to the subscriber, and whereinthe second signal pathway communications the pair gain signal from thepair gain system through the insulation displacement connection block tothe subscriber.
 24. The system of claim 22, wherein the disconnectorplug diverts the pair gain signal away from the second signal pathway tothe first signal pathway when inserted into the insertion location ofthe insulation displacement connection block.
 25. The system of claim22, wherein the disconnector plug disrupts a signal path running throughthe insulation displacement connection block between the first doubletermination location and the second double termination location when thedisconnector plug is inserted into the insertion location.
 26. Thesystem of claim 19, wherein no noticeable disruption of the pair gainsignal occurs during insertion or removal of the disconnection plug. 27.The system of claim 19, wherein the insulation displacement connectionblock defines a plurality of insertion locations, the system furtherincluding a plurality of disconnector plugs each positionable at one ofthe insertion locations.
 28. A system for delivering digital subscriberline (DSL) service to a subscriber, the system comprising: a) a pairgain system that generates a pair gain signal; b) a splitter thatcombines and separates signals, one of the signals being a DSL signal;and c) an insulation displacement connection block having a plurality ofpaired termination locations aligned in a row, each paired terminationlocation including a first double termination location and a seconddouble termination location, the insulation displacement connectionblock further including: i) a first set of connections terminated at thefirst double termination location; ii) a second set of connectionsterminated at the second double termination location; and iii) adisconnector plug positionable at an insertion location defined by theinsulation displacement connection block, the insertion locationcorresponding to one of the paired termination locations; iv) wherein apair gain signal pathway is established through the insulationdisplacement connection block when the disconnector plug is absent fromthe insertion location, the pair gain signal pathway communicating thepair gain signal from the pair gain system through the insulationdisplacement connection block to the subscriber; and v) wherein thedisconnector plug diverts the pair gain signal away from the pair gainsignal pathway when inserted into the insertion location of theinsulation displacement connection block, the disconnector plugestablishing a different signal pathway that communicates the pair gainsignal from the pair gain system through the splitter to the subscriber.29. The system of claim 28, wherein the subscriber receives only thepair gain signal when the disconnector plug is absent from the insertionlocation, and wherein the subscriber receives both the pair gain signaland the DSL signal when the disconnector plug is inserted into theinsertion location.
 30. The system of claim 28, wherein the first set ofconnections includes a connection between the pair gain system and thefirst double termination location and another connection between thesplitter and the first double termination location.
 31. The system ofclaim 30, wherein the second set of connections includes a connectionbetween the subscriber and the second double termination location andanother connection between the splitter and the second doubletermination location.
 32. The system of claim 28, wherein the pair gainsignal pathway is a pathway existing between the first doubletermination location and the second double termination location of theinsulation displacement connection block, and wherein the disconnectorplug disrupts the pair gain signal pathway when inserted into theinsertion location.
 33. The system of claim 32, wherein no noticeabledisruption of the pair gain signal occurs during insertion of thedisconnection plug.
 34. The system of claim 28, wherein the insulationdisplacement connection block defines a plurality of insertionlocations, the system further including a plurality of disconnectorplugs each positionable at one of the insertion locations.